Chapter 332: Records of the Past – Head Butler Ruet Damiro Yul (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 332: Records of the Past – Head Butler Ruet Damiro Yul (2)
Hope.
In the face of the enemy's transcendent, demonic power, it was the one thing they had so desperately craved.
The people gathered in the meeting room stared blankly at the text shimmering on the window Ruet had manifested. Even as they watched, the records meticulously kept by the butlers and scribes continued to be erased.
"You’ve worked so hard, Head Butler! If this is true, it means even their wicked ability to manipulate history can't affect the Patriarch!" Diana exclaimed, grasping Ruet’s hand.
Elona Zipple and three thousand and twenty-six mages.
3,026.
The significance of that number was chillingly clear. It was the exact total of all elite mages the Runcandels had identified within the Zipple Clan.
Furthermore, Elona Zipple was renowned as the strongest mage in the clan, second only to their Patriarch. Based on their numerous battles against her, Temar and the 10 Great Knights had concluded that Elona alone accounted for over half of the Zipples' total military strength. There was no other way to describe her monstrous power.
"It’s horrifying to think that Elona—that monster—and all their elite mages already tried to slander the Patriarch once," Padler said, trembling at the memory of fighting her alongside the other Great Knights last year.
That day, the 10 Great Knights realized for the first time that there was another human in the world, besides Temar, who deserved the title of ‘monster.’
"How the hell are they manipulating history? Those bastards… It has to be related to the Tower of Stories, but…!" Silderay vented his frustration.
As he said, Runcandel did not yet know the precise mechanism behind the Zipples' history manipulation. They only knew that the alterations began after Zipple mages started swarming the Tower of Stories in massive numbers. It was merely a guess, however, as there were several other locations they suspected were being used for the same purpose.
"The Patriarch has already decided to prioritize destroying all of their Magic Towers, so we’ll have our answer soon enough."
They had not yet been able to attack Drakka, the heart of the Lutero Magic Federation, because Elona was constantly defending it. The other Magic Towers, however, were falling one by one. Excluding major bases like the Tower of Stories, they had already destroyed over a hundred.
"Sir Sarah Runcandel of the 10 Great Knights has returned!" a Guardian Knight announced, rushing into the meeting room.
At the news, Ruet and the 10 Great Knights bolted from their seats and ran to greet her. They had been waiting anxiously for either Temar or Sarah to return. The two of them were leading the other knights in the campaign to strike the Zipples' Magic Towers.
In their haste, Ruet and the others ran all the way to the front of the castle, not even bothering to shield themselves from the pouring rain.
"Sarah!"
"Sir Sarah!"
"What's all this? Looks like you really missed me," Sarah said with a grin, looking at her comrades. "It's a little embarrassing to see you all scrambling out here like a pack of puppies."
Even as rain poured from the sky as if a hole had been torn through it, the thick scent of ash and smoke clung to her—a testament to the ferocity of the battle she had just left.
"Especially you, Padler. A weakling like you will catch a cold if you get soaked. Haha."
"How did it go, Sarah? Did you destroy all the enemy towers?"
"No, I couldn't. Would you believe me if I said there was another mage just like Elona? Silderay, it was so awful I gave up and came back after smashing about fifty of them."
"W-What? Really!?" Silderay was the only one fooled by her clumsy lie.
"Fooled you again, Silderay. Kahaha! You should at least pick something believable to fall for. You're so easy to trick, I just can't help myself."
"What? It was a lie? Again?"
"Yeah. You really think there's another crazy monster like that in the world? Honestly, you’re so dense it’s almost cute."
"Hey, our blood was practically drying up while we waited for you. How could you tell a lie like that?"
"This big sister did it to get your dried-up blood flowing again."
"You're five years younger than me. Who are you calling 'big sister'?"
Her other comrades had known from the moment she started joking that her mission was a success. Sarah was always in a playful mood after a victory.
"For now, I’ve destroyed all the towers assigned to my unit. It’s a much smaller number than the group with my brother—I mean, the Patriarch. But I think I turned at least ten thousand mages to ash."
Indeed, Sarah was a warrior worthy of being called the strongest among the 10 Great Knights. There was no exaggeration in her kill count.
"The Patriarch's side should be finishing up around now, too. But it is strange. Even though he had more Magic Towers to destroy, I thought he'd finish before us."
The number of towers Sarah’s group was assigned to destroy was twenty. Temar's group was assigned forty. Despite the twofold difference, Temar’s martial prowess was more than enough to close that gap.
"I have a weird feeling. Did I actually beat the Patriarch for once? No, that can't be right. Surely nothing happened to him?"
"We’ve been keeping a constant watch on Elona’s location, so nothing could have happened to the Patriarch. It’s probably because your Magic Sword Secret Technique has been perfected," Padler said.
"Right, that must be it. I did sweep away the last five with Karma Fire. They melted right down."
"Seriously, can you please stop using words like 'melted' to describe people?" Padler said with a furrowed brow.
Sarah shrugged. "To me, 'people' only refers to those who aren't enemies of Runcandel, you weakling. You know this, so why act surprised now?"
"Still, it doesn't seem good for your temperament."
"Am I some pubescent girl? Worry about your own health instead of my temperament," Sarah laughed, ruffling Padler’s hair.
Between the hope Ruet had brought and Sarah’s triumphant return, the heavy expressions of the 10 Great Knights were rapidly brightening.
"Sarah, look at this," Ruet said, manifesting the translucent window in front of her once more.
"Hmm? What is this, Ruet? Elona Zipple and three thousand and twenty-six mages… Oh! This is fantastic news. My broth—the Patriarch really is something else, isn't he?"
"Of course, we cannot be completely relieved yet," Ruet cautioned. "Although Elona and all their elite mages were involved, the Zipple Patriarch and Vice-Patriarch were absent."
To manipulate the history of the 'Fairy Race,' the Zipples had deployed their Patriarch, Vice-Patriarch, and five hundred elite mages. This, too, was something Ruet had confirmed through his recording ability. The power of the Zipple Patriarch and Vice-Patriarch was not to be underestimated; they were simply lesser compared to Elona, but they were still individuals who had reached a transcendent realm.
It had taken that much power to erase the entire history of the Fairy Race, which spanned tens of thousands of years.
Ruet felt greatly relieved that they couldn't manipulate Temar's history even with greater power, but at the same time, a bitter feeling settled in his heart. His own kin were being forgotten even as they spoke. It was sorrowful that the tens of thousands of years of history his people had built might be worth less than a single human named Temar.
The Power of Existence.
Ruet could not guess what the term written on the record window truly meant. Reading his heart, Sarah placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Head Butler, I know what you’re thinking. But you know, I think this 'Power of Existence' is just a measure of how much change a being brings to the world. That's why Zipple can't do anything to Temar, unlike the history of the Fairy Race."
"So, you're saying, Sir Sarah, that the more an existence changes the world, the harder it becomes for Zipple to manipulate them?"
"Yeah. Temar is completely changing the landscape of the world right now, isn't he? Whereas the Fairy Race, as observers and recorders, had the role of remaining still rather than bringing about change."
Ruet fell into thought for a moment. "...That is one way to interpret it, Sir Sarah."
"Of course, it’s just a hunch. But it sounds plausible, doesn't it? Honestly, even though he’s my brother and our Patriarch, I don’t think the value of Temar as a single person is superior to the entire Fairy Race. It’s probably impossible to say which of many existences is superior."
The other 10 Great Knights nodded. They, too, had been happy when Ruet first brought the news, but like Sarah, they had also felt a pang of concern for him.
"Thank you for your concern."
"It’s nothing compared to what you do for us, Head Butler. Now then, shall we have a drink for the first time in a while until the Patriarch returns...? I'd like to, but maybe we should help the butlers and scribes instead? The more hands, the better."
The moment Sarah spoke, putting her arm around Padler’s shoulder…
Ruet’s gaze, which had been resting on the record window, suddenly widened in horror.
"W-Wait a moment! What on earth is…!"
A chill of foreboding ran through the 10 Great Knights at the sound of his shrill cry.
"Head Butler, what’s wro—" Diana began, but the words died in her throat as she saw the window.
To be precise, she didn't just stop; she was struck utterly speechless. The other knights who saw the record window had the same reaction.
On the screen, sentences were forming that they couldn't begin to process.
<March 3, 797: Temar Runcandel and the 10 Great Knights following him destroy five of Zipple's Magic Towers in the Pailin Kingdom. The Runcandel side suffers no damage, and not a single survivor remains on the Zipple side.>
<…March 3, …: Temar Runcandel and the … following him destroy … of Zipple's Magic Towers in the … Kingdom. …, …>
<…, Temar Runcandel and …, …, …, …,>
It was disappearing.
The records of Temar and the 10 Great Knights destroying the Zipple Magic Towers 'today' were vanishing before their very eyes.
But the shock was not over.
<June 6, 740: Clio Zipple instructs his subordinates to build five Magic Towers in the Pailin Kingdom.>
<August 2, 743: Zipple mages are stationed in the completed Magic Towers. The young lords of five Zipple branch families are appointed as Tower Masters.>
<January 5, 744: The young lords of the branch families step down as Tower Masters. Pure-blooded Zipples take their place…>
<December 20, 750…>
The contents of the record window were being updated without pause.
And finally, the last entry settled into place, a single, horrifying sentence:
<March 3, 797: The five Zipple Magic Towers in the Pailin Kingdom continue to operate without issue. Since their completion fifty-seven years ago, these towers have never once suffered an external attack and remain in perfect condition.>